I have to admit, I really dropped the ball on this one. I had this review written MONTHS ago and just never got around to posting it due to the holidays. But I suppose it’s better late than never, right? RIGHT?!
Even he’s not happy with me… I don’t blame him.
Primal Carnage is the first/third person action game that pits humans against dinosaurs. And though it may be a somewhat original idea, does it have what it takes to stand the test of time? Primal Carnage is a simple multiplayer game that takes an interesting approach to the dinosaur genre. It can easily be compared to Left 4 Dead as there is two very different teams you can play as and each character you can play has a unique play style.
Every class of human and dinosaur have their own strengths and weaknesses. Though deathmatch is a game based solely off of killing, teamwork is key to winning a round. For instance, if you’re playing on the human side, staying together with a group is probably your best chance to survive and claim victory over the hoards of dinos. For dinosaurs, teamwork is all about timing and precision. If you send one dinosaur in at a time against a human team who knows what they’re doing, you’re going to lose… And quickly. A large, coordinated attack is needed to separate and devour the groups of humans. Nothing says teamwork like dropping an enemy from 40 feet in the air right into the grasp of T-rex.
Birds of pray[sic]
Players who’ve managed to play the game early at gaming expos and such will notice the absence of the Compsognathus. It seems that they’ve been removed from the final version of the game entirely, most likely due to bugs, and replaced by the Allosaurus. Though the removal of the compies are slightly disappointing to this dino-lover, the Allosaurus makes for a great addition to the game.
Along with it’s addicting gameplay, it’s just a downright beautiful game. Even if you’re playing on the game’s lowest graphic setting, it’s gorgeous. Everything from the plants to the buildings are brilliantly polished to near-perfection, making this one of the best looking indie titles to date. Not to mention every map is perfectly sized for insane battles no matter where you are.
Maybe he just wants to talk…
One of the problems with Primal Carnage is the lack of any kind of story. It almost makes you wonder why these two groups of beings are fighting and how humans and dinos are both in the same time. Did the humans go back in time? Was it all part of some weird experiment? We’ll probably never know. Another issue with games like this is the lack of any sort of bot system. The game can only be played online with other players. Which is great but after getting ripped apart by a team that really knows their stuff or if you just want to mess around without ruining anyone else’s experience, there’s nothing you can do. You are confined to an online-only game.
It’s not often that we find an indie game that truly blows us out of the water. Maybe once or twice a year we’ll see a great new indie game that does just that. Needless to say, Primal Carnage is, without a doubt, one of these great indie titles. Though there’s no real story involved, the fast paced action of the multiplayer will be enough to keep you coming back for more time and time again.
80/100
